T.I. and Tiny Sexual Assault Allegations: What to Know

Rapper T.I., born Clifford Harris, and his wife Tiny (Tameka Cottle) have been hit with multiple sexual assault accusations. The allegations first came in January from Sabrina Peterson, who recently alleged the rapper once held a gun to her head. Shortly after, various victims came forward (via anonymous messages sent to Peterson from Instagram direct messages) with other stories alleging the couple committed multiple acts of sexual abuse. Among the accusations are that T.I. and his wife allegedly required women to take drugs before entering their home. T.I. and Tiny responded to the allegations in a statement to Complex. “Mr. and Mrs. Harris want to be on record and more importantly want the public to know they emphatically deny in the strongest way possible the egregiously appalling allegations being made against them by Sabrina Peterson,” the statement read. “The Harrises have had difficulty with this woman for well over a decade. They are taking this matter very seriously, and if these allegations don’t end, they will take appropriate legal action.”

One of the women has contracted the legal assistance of famous attorney Lisa Bloom. Bloom shared a message on the ongoing development with her Instagram followers, urging them to come forward with any information. “Investigating T.I. on behalf of our new client. We stand with her. If you have information about T.I. please contact me via my law firm website, TheBloomFirm.com, or DM me. Free and confidential. Help us get to the truth,” she said. “I have said this for a long time: the music industry is long overdue for a reckoning on how women, especially Black women, are demeaned and abused. Enough is enough.”

The scandal prompted activists with the #MeToo movement, Time’s Up, and the National Women’s Law Center to publish an open letter focusing on how Black sexual assault survivors are typically overlooked and have their stories ignored as Hollywood and the world continues to push for a reckoning for survivors. “We know countless of you have come forward with credible accusations of horrific sexual abuse and violence at the hands of Black celebrities,” the groups said in the public letter. “Like you, we are carrying the emotional weight of this news and know that we are reliving a collective trauma akin to the exposing of Cosby and R Kelly.” It continued, “This tendency to ignore, mock, challenge, and discredit the stories of Black survivors is an attempt to coerce us into silence and, this too, is an act of violence. The level of violence that has occurred against Black survivors for so long demands stories and headlines that center them across all media.”